By Daniel Edwards

0

Sep 25, 2010 20:26:00

The left back scored with just a minute on the clock as Alex Sabella's side edged a tight encounter in Quilmes...

A fantastic first minute goal from Marcos Rojo guided Estudiantes to an efficient 1-0 victory over Boca Juniors to cut short a run of three games without a win in a game which failed to live up to pre-match expectations. Boca toiled and worked hard, but the continued absence of talismanic playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme was again acutely felt, as the away side failed to create one clear-cut chance.

The first half started with fireworks as Estudiantes struck almost immediately, through the unlikely source of Rojo. The left back picked up a lovely flick from Enzo Perez and blasted past Cristian Lucchetti, scoring one of the goals of the round so far.

Unfortunately the rest of the half could not live up to the fireworks provided from the first whistle. Boca could not impose themselves on a strong ‘Pincha’ midfield, with the trio of Rodrigo Braña, Perez and Juan Sebastian Veron controlling the game from the middle of the park. Any approaches to the opposition area were almost exclusively long balls aiming for the heads of Martin Palermo or Lucas Viatri.

For their part the home team settled into playing a cagey game, sitting back and looking to punish on the break. Federico Fernandez had one of the better chances of the period with a header, but the Estudiantes defender could not convert a Veron free kick at the far post.

The second half started with Estudiantes pushing forward with more urgency, looking to kill the game off. Veron went close with a free kick in the opening minutes, while forward Leandro Gonzalez shot wide after carving out some space down the left wing.

Claudio Borghi tried to reshuffle his Xeneizes side for the second half, bringing in young prospects Marcelo Cañete and Orlando Gaona Lugo in midfield in an attempt to break the Pincha dominance. Still it seemed that the home side were most likely to add another goal, with several decent Veron and Perez-inspired through balls hurriedly cleared by Lucchetti on the edge of the area. Braña went close to doubling the lead, a perfectly struck 35 yard rocket sailing just over the Boca crossbar.

As the clock ran down the game turned into little more than a training exercise for Estudiantes, who stroked the ball around the pitch with disdain for their rivals. Despite a late, frantic scramble for an equaliser from the away side, there were few who could complain at the 1-0 scoreline when Sergio Pezzotta blew for the end of the game, and Estudiantes did what was necessary to pull themselves out of a recent mini-slump.

The home side regain second place, just one point behind Velez Sarsfield with a game in hand. Boca meanwhile stay in 10th place, but could drop back into the bottom half depending on the rest of the weekend's results.

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